Catalyst
by Tarafina
Summary: She wouldn't let this become a catalyst in their relationship. :Chloe/Oliver:


**Title**: Catalyst  
**Category**: Smallville  
**Rating**: M  
**Genre**: Romance/Angst  
**Pairing**: Chloe/Oliver  
**Prompt**: #021 - Confidence, "Chloe have you seen my..." by lilmoochie, healing by  
**Word Count**: 867  
**Summary**: She wouldn't let this become a catalyst in their relationship.

**_Catalyst  
_**-1/1-

Chloe Sullivan was well known for her confidence, but still, she couldn't help but fidget slightly as she sat seductively on the bed wearing nothing but a green silk tie. Just that fact had her feeling warm between her thighs. He was walking around the apartment, searching, having no idea just what she had planned. She didn't want to jump to any sudden conclusions but it was rather obvious that they hadn't been making love or even having rough quickies ever since she had accidentally healed him when they'd been heavily involved on the couch three weeks prior. And she chose to let it go at first; there was much more to their relationship than sex. But he wasn't touching her, was barely kissing her and she knew it was because he was worried that he might have some cut somewhere, small as it may be, and that she'd take that pain from him unto herself. And she would. But she didn't want this to become a catalyst in their relationship. She wanted more; she wanted _them _back. The 'them' that could spend all day and night in bed, doing nothing but exploring with hands and mouths, caressing and gripping and bringing each other to incredible peaks. She wanted the 'them' that could talk business mixed with flirting and natural banter. The 'them' that cuddled on the couch while watching surveillance videos of possible 33.1 warehouses. She just wanted 'them' back in the relationship.

She could hear him walking closer and she steeled her nerves, drawing her shoulders back, jutting out her breasts and lowering her lashes enough so that when she looked up at him, she'd be downright sinful. Some part of her still felt like laughing, and another part crying.

"Chloe, have you see my..." He trailed off, staring at her with wide, brown eyes. She watched his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed tightly. "Tie," he finished, voice low and gravely.

She tipped her head down, fingered the silk fabric between her breasts. "I think so," she murmured.

He fidgeted side to side, clearing his throat. "We don't have time to..." His eyes wandered her and his tongue licked his lips before her forced his gaze back to hers. "I really have to go..."

"So come get your tie," she told him, leaning back on her arms.

"Chloe..."

She lifted a challenging brow.

Clenching her jaw, he crossed the room slowly. Each step bolstered her confidence and she reminded herself that this was nothing to be ashamed or worried over. She'd done something similar to this a thousand times before. Welcomed him home in green lace negligees, positioned herself on the desk in front of the elevator so the first thing he'd seen when he arrived was her parted and naked thighs, woke him up by straddling him in absolutely nothing... So this... This was just like all those times. Except that in those moments, he'd gathered her up into his arm's without pause rather than cautiously approaching her from afar.

He had to kneel on the bed to reach her and his hand shook as it reached forward, forefinger helplessly trailing down the center of his tie for a second, the back of his hand brushing the curve of her breasts. She bit her lip, staring at him, watching how his jaw twitched and his breathing picked up. Slowly, he began undoing the tie from around her neck, his knuckles sliding against her chest with each movement.

"When are you just going to let yourself go?" she murmured quietly.

"Letting go could mean putting you, me, _us _in danger." His brow furrowed, eyes set on the knot of his tie.

She covered his hands with hers, stilling them. "We're in danger now, Ollie." She shook her head. "I want you and I know you want me... We can't be happy together if we're always holding back..." She smiled sadly. "I can't control my ability and if you're hurt, I _want _to help you... But I can't live like this. Waiting for you, wanting you, with you always being so skittish, I... I love you too much for that."

He looked up at her, strained. "You know I love you, I just don't like the idea of you taking on my pain for me..."

"I'm hurting right now and it has _nothing _to do with that." She stared at him seriously. "Now _touch _me... or this is going to have to end."

He stared at the tie a moment, stroking his thumb across it and then finally caught her eyes. "I've been acting like a jerk lately..."

Her confidence filled her to the brim as she smirked. "And now you can make up for it."

His mouth quirked before he cupped her neck and drew her forward, capturing her mouth with his before he laid her back on the bed and climbed between her parted legs. His lips diligently made apologies as they slid across hers, over and over, tongue tangling, teeth nibbling. When they broke apart, she could feel his breath panting against her chin. "Have I mentioned I love the outfit, Sidekick?"

Laughing, she wrapped her arms around him.


End file.
